


Survive

by DreamingKate



Category: Glee, Hunger Games - Fandom
Genre: Death, M/M, Transphobia, Tribute!Blaine, Tribute!Kurt, ftm!Blaine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:12:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1902021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingKate/pseuds/DreamingKate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The paperwork should have gone through, Blaine shouldn’t have been chosen as a tribute, they shouldn’t have to fight for their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Hunger Games AU where out and proud FtM!Blaine is reaped as the female tribute for his district. To make matters even worse, his boyfriend Kurt Hummel is reaped right along beside him. Thankfully the rule of two tributes from the same district being able to become victors has always applied, but that doesn’t stop the horrors the two will see in The Games.

"Blaine Anderson," he said softly as the woman pricked his finger and looked for his name, frowning slightly when she didn’t see it. "It…might be under Brianne Anderson. I’m not sure if the Capitol has changed it yet."

 

 

The woman raised her eyebrows and nodded, pressing his finger onto the space next to his name. “You have to stand with the girls.”

 

 

"I figured," he sighed. "We sent the paperwork to the Capitol like years ago, I got the surgery there. Do you know when it’s going to go through?"

 

 

"You need to go stand in line," she snapped, not looking at him as she waved up another girl. 

 

 

Tina appeared at his elbow, rolling her eyes and looping her arm through his. They walked quietly to take their place among the crowd of seventeen year old girls and his eyes instantly locked on Kurt’s standing with the eighteen year old boys.

 

 

Kurt gave him a smile and raised an eyebrow, grinning when Blaine rolled his eyes. While being transgender wasn’t exactly normal with so few people being able to afford the surgeries, Blaine never felt excluded. In fact, his predicament of being forced to be with the girls was met with anger towards the Capitol. They could have whiskers implanted into their faces without a problem but it took years for a boy’s identification to be adjusted. For a F on the paperwork to be changed to a M. 

 

 

Lulina Peppers jumped on stage, her neon yellow hair fashioned into spikes all over her head. Her bright green eyes scanned over the crowd and her grin sparkled with implanted diamonds. 

 

 

While she squeaked out her opening speech, Blaine locked his eyes on the stage. She presented the surviving victor and his brother stepped out. Cooper scanned the crowd and gave Blaine a warm, reassuring smile. 

 

 

Blaine smiled back. He knew how incredibly stressful the Reaping was for Cooper. As the days crept closer, he had almost constant nightmares and spent most nights curled up next to Blaine in bed, holding him tightly. 

 

 

When Blaine was eight, he almost lost his brother. He couldn’t imagine what went through Cooper’s head when he thought about Blaine in the arena. 

 

 

"So let’s start," Lulina’s voice was so high it had to have been surgically altered. "As always, ladies first."

 

 

Tina’s hand tightened around his and all the girls seemed to hold their breath. As Lulina pulled out the small slip of paper, Blaine’s heart pounded. What if it was Tina? What is it was Rachel? What if it was…

 

 

"Brianne Anderson!" She trilled out and for a moment Blaine felt an immense relief at his name not being called. 

 

 

Then, everyone turned to stare at him at once and his heart stopped. No one had called him that name in years but it echoed loudly through his head. Peacekeepers started moving down the partition between the boys and girls. 

 

 

His head was filled with white noise as he stepped out of the crowd on numb legs. As if in a daze, he walked down the path. The only thing he could see was Cooper’s deathly pale, terrified face. 

 

 

"Ah, interesting," Lulina’s sparkling grin dropped a little bit. "Brianne?"

 

 

"Blaine," he choked out, voice cracking. "My name is Blaine."

 

 

"Wonderful!" She continued to smile and gently steered him to stand next to her. "You are Cooper Anderson’s…brother?"

 

 

He nodded and she let out a tittering laugh. “I suppose the odds are not in your family’s favor.”

 

 

The crowd was silent as her laughter died out. 

 

 

"Alright," Lulina seemed a little annoyed that her joke went flat and crossed to the boy’s bowl. "And for the boys…Kurt Hummel!"

 

 

_No._

 

For a moment, Blaine thought he would faint. This couldn’t happen. It couldn’t be Kurt. Tears filled his eyes as his boyfriend stepped out of the crowd and walked up to the stage with him. It was obvious that Kurt had been crying from the moment they had called Blaine, his eyes red rimmed and wide. 

 

 

As soon as he got on stage, Kurt pushed past Lulina and pulled Blaine in for a kiss. They clung together desperately, terrified that at any moment they would be separated. Lulina gasped excitedly, probably thrilled that she finally had some drama with her tributes. 

 

 

"And here is your couple!" She trilled and her voice echoed in the resulting silence. 

 

 

They didn’t even have a moment together as they were herded into two rooms in the Justice Buildings to say their goodbyes. 

 

 

Blaine’s harsh breathing echoed in the small room for a few moments before his parents burst through the door. After Cooper had left for the games, his mother seemed to have aged incredibly. 

 

 

_If I die, it’ll kill her._

 

She sobbed hysterically as she held him tightly and Blaine opened tear filled eyes to look at his dad who’s shoulders were hitching.

 

 

"This isn’t right," Nathaniel whispered. "If they had changed your identification correctly, you would have been with the boys. It would have been Kurt and you would be safe."

 

 

"Kurt and I can win," he whispered, heart pounding. "We can win."

 

 

Then it was silent. 

 

 

They didn’t want to say that Cooper had honestly won his games because of a fluke. An avalanche had taken out many more tributes than anyone expected and he had been lucky enough to grab a thick sleeping bag during the bloodbath. Most tributes had killed each other or frozen to death while he hid. The last tribute had actually slipped on a patch of ice while she ran at Cooper and had broken her neck in the fall.

 

 

The Gamemakers wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. 

 

 

"We’ll be watching you," Mara gave her son a kiss on the forehead. "You come home to us okay?"

 

 

"Okay," he nodded shakily. 

 

 

"I love you son," Nathaniel pulled him in for a fierce hug and Blaine’s heart shattered. When he had started transitioning, his father had been a little hesitant. To finally get the support he had needed made everything so much clearer. They both thought he was going to die.

 

 

With a final kiss and hug, they left the room and Blaine sank into the couch. He placed his hands over his face and took in deep breaths until the peacekeepers steered him to the train.

 

 

"Blaine," Cooper’s voice finally made him break down into sobs as soon as he stepped onto the train. His brother quickly steered him away from the windows. "Hey, hey. You need to be brave. The cameras can see everything. Wait until the train leaves."

 

 

He trembled in his brother’s hold and waited for Kurt. When his boyfriend finally got on the train, his eyes were red rimmed but his chin was held up high, jaw set. 

 

 

"I wish it had just been me," Kurt whispered as soon as the doors swished shut. "It should be."

 

 

"Don’t say that," Blaine shook his head. 

 

 

"Especially since you two are going to win!" Lulina said cheerfully. "Now, let’s eat and discuss how the next few days are going to go."

 

 

"Can we just have a minute?" Kurt asked, voice faltering. 

 

 

"Oh! We don’t have a minute! District Eight hasn’t had a victor since your brother nine years ago, and he was the first one in thirty-four years! We need to win!" Her eyes were bright. "Especially since we finally have the drama. A transgendered girl, a couple! This will…"

 

 

"Blaine is a boy," Cooper spat, clearly annoyed. "Despite what the Capitol labeled him as, he is a boy."

 

 

"Of course honey," she waved her hand distractedly and motioned to the dining table. Blaine and Kurt sat across from each other, staring, and tried to figure out what nightmare they had found themselves in.

 

 

Lulina’s tittering passed right over Blaine’s head as he locked eyes with Kurt. In a few days, one of them could be dead. His throat tightened as he imagined trying to survive the arena without his boyfriend. They were in love. They were supposed to get married when he turned eighteen. 

 

 

"Are you even listening?" She snapped.

 

 

"No," Kurt said faintly and Blaine laughed loudly. It was so ridiculous to expect them to listen her talking about what she thought their costumes were going to be like at a time like this. Kurt dissolved into laughter right after and they both just shook with chuckles. 

 

 

"And these two are our victors," Lulina said sarcastically and even Cooper cracked a smile.

 

 

After the tension broke, they dug into the mountain of food in front of them. Kurt practically gorged himself on chocolate covered apples an Blaine ate every piece of avocado on the table. Lulina looked slightly horrified, of course she always looked slightly horrified, but they just kept eating. Despite being in the Victor’s Village, Blaine still didn’t eat enough and Kurt was far worse. 

 

 

The Capitol rose above the hills they got nearer, growing like a shining mountain. As they pulled closer to the station, the Capitol citizens swarmed the train like colorful birds. Blaine knew that being transgender and a couple was going to draw more interest than usual. 

 

 

Lulina walked with her hands in front of her, fingers splayed out, as she rushed them into a room. Without a word, they were separated and led to their own stylists. Blaine’s heart pounded as he looked back, terrified to be separated from Kurt in this bizarre place.

 

 

"Hello," the stylist looked bored, her tiger striped eyes flicking up at him. "I’m Nexus. We have your dress…"

 

 

"I’m not wearing a dress," Blaine said quickly, shaking his head and Nexus finally looked up at him. "Put me in whatever Kurt is wearing."

 

 

"I’ve been doing this for a long time," her voice was filled with false sweetness. "The fans want to see a boy and a girl. Kurt is the boy, what are you?"

 

 

"I’m a boy," Blaine argued back and her eyes flashed.

 

 

"What bowl was your name taken from? I worked hard on this dress and you’re going to wear it. You’re…" she stopped talking as Cooper walked up behind them.

 

 

"You are going to put him in the same outfit as Kurt," he said lowly. "And you are going to stop your bitching. You are always especially mean to my tributes. There is no way they are going to suddenly think your mediocre designing skills are suddenly good and move you to District 1 or 2. Just…make it work."

 

 

Nexus was silent the entire time she dressed him in black pants with criss crossed bright strips of fabric it continued up to a corset top, again strung with those bright stripes of fabric. There were lacy sleeves that looked a little too feminine but Blaine didn’t feel like arguing. A makeup artist made his eyes dark and smokey and a headdress made of bright fabric that shifted pattern and colors.

 

 

"You look like a cockatoo," Kurt whispered as he stepped up next to him in an identical costume. 

 

 

"You don’t look much better," it was hard not to laugh at how ridiculous they both looked. "Ready to go win some hearts?"

 

 

"Always," Kurt winked at him and they climbed into the chariot. 

 

 

He managed to get a glimpse of the other tributes and felt a little more reassured that they all looked equally bizarre. The makeup was thick and itchy on his face and the costume felt like it was restricting his breathing. As soon as they pulled out onto the track, he tried to smile but it felt so wrong. He could tell from the tense set of his shoulders and the way he clenched his hand tightly that Kurt felt wrong too. 

 

 

The ride felt torturously long and Blaine struggled not to shrink away when the cameras focused on them for a moment before moving to someone else. He never nearly fell off the chariot when it came to a sudden stop in front of President Snow. 

 

 

Kurt leaned into his shoulder and Blaine wrapped an arm around his waist. Partially because he wanted to steady them and partially because he needed to be close to Kurt. This world was so different, so much like a dream, that Blaine needed an anchor. He needed to know that Kurt was really here and that he wasn’t alone. 

 

 

"Thank God," Kurt sighed as soon as they arrived at the entrance to the elevators. "I thought I was going to faint."

 

 

The other tributes split up and walked to the elevators, vanishing to their apartments. Cooper, Lulina, Kurt’s stylist, and Nexus walked up. Lulina’s diamond studded smile stretched wide across her face.

 

 

"You two looked just amazing. Just amazing!" She squeaked. "I just know that you both have sponsors lining up for you."

 

 

Cooper placed a hand on both of their shoulders and led them to the elevator, lightly picking out the pins that held the headdresses to their hair. He gave their team a wave before pulling them onto the elevator, sighing as they stepped in. 

 

 

"So, how did we really do?" Kurt glanced over at Cooper as he pulled off the headdress. 

 

 

"You looked terrified. Scared shitless," Cooper looked up at the ceiling. "Not good for sponsors."

 

 

"Damn it," Blaine’s stomach fell. No sponsors basically meant that they were going to lose, and lose quickly. 

 

 

"But, you did look in love. Get more touchy feely, hold hands, stare into each other’s eyes," he smiled crookedly. "Be your normal, grossly in love selves."

 

 

The elevator dinged softly as it pulled up to the eighth floor. Blaine wasted no time in pulling off his pinching leather boots and dropping them onto the pure white carpet.  

 

 

"You two must be tired," Cooper said softly, looking exhausted himself. "Go to sleep. You start training tomorrow so rest up."

 

 

Kurt took Blaine’s hand and led them to the bedroom with his name already on a plaque on the door. As soon as the door shut, the stress of the day overwhelmed them both and they held each other tightly. 

 

 

"I still feel like this is a dream," Kurt breathed. 

 

 

"It doesn’t feel real," Blaine smoothed his hands down Kurt’s chest.

 

 

He honestly had no idea what to say. No words could possibly make this okay, could possibly make either of them feel any better about the situation they were in. He met Kurt in a heated kiss and they clung desperately together. 

 

 

They carefully took off each other’s costumes and gently washed the makeup off of their faces. When they finally looked like themselves again they laid down in bed and pressed close together. In a few days every moment was going to be captured on camera for the world to see. 

 

 

They needed to make use of the time they had alone. 

 

 

The training uniform felt uncomfortably tight compared to the loose uniforms they wore in the textile factories. Blaine stepped into the training room and instantly felt out of place. The tributes from Districts 1 and 2 were both huge, towering over Blaine and obviously strong. The others seemed beyond intimidating as well, except for a few younger kids who just looked dwarfed. 

 

 

There was an unusually large number of older kids in this years games as compared to others. 

 

 

When they split, both Kurt and Blaine stood there uncomfortably. They didn’t have knowledge of picks like District Two or axes like District Seven. They were expected to work in textile factories, hands stained by dyes and rough from the washing. They never had experience with any of the weapons. 

 

 

"Well, this will be fun," Kurt mumbled before they started going through the stations.

 

 

By the end of the training days, Kurt found that he was good with knifes and Blaine found that he was pretty good with survival skills. He smiled proudly as Kurt managed to hit a dummy with a knife and grinned when he started fires with no problem. 

 

 

Just when he thought they had a chance, he would turn and see the raw strength of the other tributes and panic would set in. The panic continued as they sat in the waiting room for the private sessions with the Gamekeepers. 

 

 

Blaine fidgeted when Kurt left with a soft smile. He bounced his foot on the ground and stared ahead at the empty benches.

 

 

"You two are cute," the tribute from nine said sweetly. She looked a little older than him with thick brown hair and pale green eyes the color of moss. "How long have you been together?"

 

 

"About a year and a half," he replied softly and she grinned. 

 

 

"Adorable. I’m Winnow," her smile seemed so warm. "And you’re Blaine. I think you’re very brave having gone through what you went through."

 

 

"Thanks," Blaine found himself grinning back. Maybe he could have an ally too. Maybe this would work. 

 

 

"Brianne Anderson, District Eight," a mechanical voice called through the room and he rolled his eyes.

 

 

"It can’t be that hard to change that information," Winnow scowled. "It’s just insulting to you."

 

 

"Tell me about it," Blaine sighed and stepped through the door. 

 

 

The Gamekeepers were laughing and eating off of the gigantic buffet table. Blaine actually preferred this to them all staring intently at him since he had no idea what he was going to do. His eyes scanned over the equipment for a long moment before he decided on survival skills. He managed to make a fire rather quickly, strung up a trap for food, and got halfway through making a fantastic hammock before his time was called.

 

 

_Boxing._

 

The thought came to Blaine as soon as the doors swished shut. He had taken up boxing on his off days of school and working at the factory. It was a way to blow off steam and he actually enjoyed it. It would have been far more impressive than making a stupid fire. 

 

 

He totally deserved his five, but was incredibly proud of Kurt’s seven for knife work. 

 

 

"People have won with lower scores," Kurt spoke up when they lay in bed together that night.

 

 

"No they haven’t," Blaine sighed. "The guy from two got a ten."

 

 

"Blaine…"

 

 

"If I don’t make it, I want you to try to win," Blaine said seriously. "Don’t you dare give up."

 

 

"We can win," Kurt sat up, frowning.

 

 

"No we can’t. People are going to be gunning for me from the start. I’m the weird transgender kid, the brother of a victor who won because everyone else managed to die off. I don’t have much of a chance and everyone knows it." 

 

 

"Come on, you’re not the worst one," Kurt argued back and Blaine rolled his eyes.

 

 

"How can I forget the twelve year old from ten?" He snapped back. "She’s blind in one eye. Now my chances are much better."

 

 

"And I’m the guaranteed winner?" Kurt pressed a hand to his chest. 

 

 

"So, what do we do? Do we form an alliance with other tributes?" Blaine sat up as well. "Maybe if we got some other people on our side we could be okay."

 

 

"No, we do this together. We don’t mess with anyone else," Kurt shook his head. "Your problem is that you trust too easy and…and I’m afraid that it’ll get you killed."

 

 

"I’m not going to do anything stupid, as long as you don’t either," Blaine kissed him gently. "Fine. No alliances. It’s just you and me."

 

 

"So, when the games start, don’t run to the middle of the cornucopia," Cooper said through a mouthful of food the next morning. "Maybe grab something if it is nearby but otherwise just get away. I won my games by hiding, try to do the same. Let the stronger tributes kill the weaker and then they’ll kill each other."

 

 

"They won’t team up and look for us?" Kurt raised his eyebrows and took a few more bites of his soup. 

 

 

"They might," Cooper sighed. "Truth be told, I have no idea what is going to happen. We mentors are supposed to tell you what to do in order to keep you alive but i have no idea what to expect. The past eight tributes I’ve mentored have died quickly. I tried my hardest but…it didn’t work." 

 

 

"Coop," Blaine put his fork down.

 

 

"But you two have each other and you two will fight for each other," the strange, serious light flashed in Cooper’s eyes. "Make sure that people know that at the interview tonight."

 

 

"That I can do," Blaine smiled over at Kurt.

 

 

That evening, they were decked out in suits that shifted from different fabrics and colors. Kurt scrunched his nose up, disgusted by the gaudy outfits. No matter how many times he tried to adjust his bow tie, it still looked terrible.

 

 

"You could have designed something far better," Blaine smiled. "I’ve seen your sketches. It would have been way better."

 

 

"Ah, but then we wouldn’t get to deal with Nexus’s dirty glares," Kurt teased back. A roar of cheering made them both go silent. Blaine had never been nervous speaking in front of a crowd before, but now he really had to get the sponsors after his poor score. 

 

 

"They’re going to love you," he whispered to Kurt who smiled in response. 

 

 

"You know they’ll love you more."

 

 

"Let’s welcome, from District Eight, Blaine Anderson!" He felt a rush of gratitude at the correct name and stepped onto the stage, putting on his best smile. 

 

 

Caesar Flickerman was all bright smiles and pale pink hair as he shook Blaine’s hand excitedly. Although he didn’t even look half human, there was something about Caesar that seemed to put him at ease. He found himself smiling back as the applause died down.

 

 

"So," Caesar placed his hands together after they sat down. "You had an interesting Reaping. Tell us about that."

 

 

"Well…I’m still considered a girl by the Capitol although I have sent the paperwork in," a moment of panic rushed through him as he realized that he was badmouthing the Capitol. "But…but it’s fine. I’m a boy despite everything."

 

 

"Clearly we need to make up a new pronoun just for you," Caesar laughed.

 

 

"Or just use male pronouns, because that is what I am," a familiar annoyance surged through him and Caesar looked almost impressed. 

 

 

"Of course, the first time a district has ever had two male tributes. I like that you’re shaking it up," Blaine smiled back. "Your older brother was a Victor, you must be very proud." 

 

 

"Cooper has always been there for me and the scariest time of my life was during his games," he said softly, a hush falling on the crowd. "Of course I’m happy he won. I’m most proud of who he is now. Right after he came back, he spent four months worth of his winnings to get me the surgery and hormones that I needed. He supported me and loved me. Cooper is my hero, and not just because he won the games. It’s because he’s my big brother."

 

 

A cheer from the crowd started Blaine and he smiled shyly. Caesar’s smile widened and the bell rang. “Terribly sorry Blaine, that’s time. Don’t worry, we’ll discuss your relationship with your boyfriend next.”

 

 

He shook Caesar’s hand again and walked off the stage, legs shaking. He had time to grin at Kurt and give him a quick kiss before he walked out onto the stage for his interview. Winnow gave him a smile and waggled her eyebrows as he turned to the screen. 

 

 

"Kurt Hummel," Caesar said brightly. "I just finished interviewing your wonderful boyfriend. Tell us how you two met."

 

 

"Well, we all knew who he was because of his brother. Then, I stopped him on a staircase at school to ask him what the time was and…that was that," Kurt smiled and blushed.

 

 

"That was that," Caesar grinned. "It’s obvious that you two love each other dearly."

 

 

"He’s my everything," Kurt’s eyes got bright and Blaine smiled behind stage, blushing slightly. 

 

 

"And how do you feel about his…past?" The dramatic pause made Blaine roll his eyes. 

 

 

"We all have a past," Kurt smiled softly and looked at his hands. "I love Blaine for who he is. I don’t look at him any differently and I don’t view him as anything but a boy. Even before the surgery, Blaine was a boy. I love him because he is sweet, funny, and the best person in the world. I don’t love him because of his biology."

 

 

The crowd cheered and Blaine felt his chest grow warm. He answered a few silly little questions before he was dismissed. On a whim, Blaine stepped onto the stage and kissed Kurt deeply. The crowd cheered loudly and he could feel Kurt smile against his lips. 

 

 

Maybe they did have a chance.

 

 

As soon as they arrived back in their apartment, Cooper asked to speak to Blaine alone. Kurt squeezed his hand and left to take a shower. With a soft sigh, Cooper pulled his brother into a tight hug.

 

 

"I can’t see you tomorrow. I’ll be working on sponsors and be in the watching room really early," he whispered. "Just know that I’m rooting for you. You two are going to win this. I’ll do everything I can to help, anything at all."

 

 

"I know you will," Blaine blinked away tears, hugging his brother tightly. "Thank you Cooper."

 

 

"I love you little brother," his voice cracked and Blaine squeezed his eyes tightly.

 

 

"I love you too."

 

 

Blaine smiled softly at his brother and made his way to Kurt’s room. He climbed into bed and kissed Kurt without a word. Tomorrow, one or both of them could be dead. They would have their picture flash across the sky and go back to District Eight in a wooden box. But, they had tonight. 

 

 

The next morning, they ate a huge breakfast and Blaine stared intently at Kurt the entire time. He had no idea what the arena would be like, for all he knew this could be the last time he ever saw Kurt. The thought filled him with dread and he put his fork down.

 

 

"Come on boys," Lulina said brightly. "It’s time."

 

 

"I love you," Kurt whispered in the elevator, kissing Blaine softly. "I love you so much."

 

 

"I love you too," Blaine felt tears spring to his eyes. "Remember what we promised. Keep fighting no matter what."

 

 

Kurt nodded shakily as they were separated into separate transport aircrafts. During the entire flight, Blaine just concentrated on not crying. He closed his eyes tightly and focused on the memory of Kurt’s hand in his and the feeling of their last kiss.

 

 

There wasn’t anyone for him as he got ready. The clothes were very light and thin, making him think that the arena was going to be hot. After a few moments of pacing, he just sat and waited for the automated voice to tell him to get in the tube in the corner of the room. 

 

 

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he was directed to it and completely stopped as the tube started rising into the arena. The first thing he was aware of was the extremely bright sun, almost blinding him.

 

 

Then, red.

 

 

Everything was red. Huge red rock structures loomed over him and fell into canyons. They were being lifted into a wide cavern, small canyons snaking out behind every tribute. The golden cornucopia shone in the middle of the circle and to Blaine’s horror, it wasn’t that far away from him. The tributes wouldn’t have to run far to get to the middle.

 

 

_5…_

 

 

He wouldn’t go for the weapons in the middle, but the smaller packs on the outskirts looked close enough for him to grab and run.

 

_4…_

 

 

There was even one maybe three feet to the left of his platform, easy enough to snatch and head for the canyons behind him.

 

_3…_

 

 

Kurt! Where was Kurt? Panicked, Blaine looked from all the surrounding tributes and his heart sank when he couldn’t find him.

 

_2…_

 

 

There was no way he could run to the other side of the cornucopia without being killed. 

 

_1…_

 

 

He was just going to have to run and hope to meet up with Kurt later. 

 

 

The loud gong sound echoed through the canyons and he leapt off of his platform. Blaine grabbed his pack and sprinted for the thin entrance to the canyon behind him. He could hear the screams of the people in the bloodbath and for a moment panicked, thinking that maybe Kurt was one of the ones dying.

 

 

Keep running. Don’t stop. His feet pounded on the packed red rock, concentrating on not tripping. The canyon continued in a long snaking line before it branched off into a few other canyons. He hesitated for a moment before taking the canyon to the left.

 

_Keep running._

 

 

He kept running until he physically couldn’t anymore. Once he slowed to a walk, he took a look through his backpack. There was some kind of jerky, dried fruit, a large bottle of water, iodine tablets and a needle and thread. It was a good first step, Blaine sucked a breath through his teeth and kept walking. 

 

 

The canyons were littered with large rocks and he paused, considering climbing up the wall before he decided it would be a terrible idea. He knew he would most likely fall and then he would be exposed to the sun. The heat was quickly climbing in the canyon even though he tried to stay in the shade. 

 

 

The loud boom of the canyon made him freeze. Thirteen, over half of the tributes were already dead. Tears sprung to his eyes as he prayed that Kurt wasn’t one of those cannon blasts. The canyons twisted and turned and he was terrified that he was walking towards the cornucopia so he stopped.

 

 

The sun was already beginning to set and he knew that he should set up camp. A pile of rocks ahead of him should give him enough cover to sleep through the night. Blaine settled down, ignoring the hard rocks digging into his back and stared up at the sky streaked with red. 

 

 

The sound of the anthem blasting through the silent arena made him jump and pictures flashed across the screen. He held his breath as both tributes from three flashed across the sky, both from five, one from six, one from seven…one from nine.

 

 

Kurt was alive. His mind swam and he didn’t even try to focus on the other faces flashing across the sky. Kurt was alive and as long as he was could stay alive too, this could work. He started to drift to sleep when something crawling on his arm made him jump.

 

 

A small green scorpion began to skitter up his arm and he pushed it off, scrambling back against the rocks. The scorpion clicked its pincers a few times before scuttling off. 

 

 

Just a day at a time. Focus on getting through the night.

 

 

The burning heat woke him up and he licked his chapped lips. Blaine managed to only take a few sips from his bottle and forced himself to put the bottle away. It had been a full day of walking and he hadn’t seen any sign of water, just red rocks. 

 

 

As he was packing up his pack, a cannon rang through the canyons and he stood up quickly. 

 

 

"Blaine?" A voice made him spin around and he pulled his backpack up to his chest in a desperate attempt to protect himself. Winnow gave him a bright smile and flounced over to him, pulling him into a tight hug. 

 

 

"You scared me," he let out a shaky laugh and lowered the backpack.

 

 

"So sorry," she laughed. "I’m just so happy to see a friendly face!"

 

 

"Sorry about your…friend from your district," he winced at how flat it came out, especially when her eyes grew a little distant and sad. 

 

 

"Luka was twelve. He ran into the bloodbath and…there wasn’t a chance," she sighed. "I noticed Kurt wasn’t among the dead."

 

 

"I’m going to find him," Blaine pulled the bag on his shoulder.

 

 

"Can I come with you?" Her eyes were wide and hopeful. "I just…I didn’t get any food."

 

 

If he turned her away, he could be responsible for her death. She would starve or die of dehydration and he would be to blame. Plus, she could help and keep watch during night when they slept.

 

_You trust too easy._

 

 

"Do you want to work together?" He asked softly and she grinned. 

 

 

Winnow was actually a lovely girl. She was all bright eyes and wide smiles, happily telling him about her life in District Nine. He found himself smiling, only pausing when another cannon blasted through the air. 

 

 

It was so hot, even in the shade they were sweating and panting for breath. Obviously more tributes were going to die from the elements but Blaine had been really good about spreading out his food and water. He and Winnow walked through the twisting canyons, watching out for other tributes hiding behind rocks and ledges but went to sleep that night without any attacks.

 

 

They watched the sky to see that a tribute from four had died. 

 

 

"How about you go to sleep first?" Winnow said softly. "I’ll keep watch."

 

 

"And tomorrow we’ll find Kurt," he closed his eyes. "We’ll be stronger with three people."

 

 

"It’s a plan," Winnow smiled and nudged his leg with her foot. "Go to sleep."

 

 

Blaine rolled over on the ground and fell asleep, body aching from the long walk. They would find Kurt tomorrow and things would be okay. He had survived two days in the arena. Things were looking up.

 

 

In the middle of the night, he was woken up suddenly by two hands closing tightly around his throat. His eyes snapped open to see Winnow glaring down at him in the moonlight. 

 

 

"It’s okay!" She gasped, tightening her hands around his throat. "It’ll be okay, it’ll be okay." 

 

 

He was choking and writhing on the ground as her hands tightened. Winnow whimpered as he tried desperately to buck her off of his body. Finally, he was able to jerk his arm from under him and slammed it into her jaw.

 

 

Winnow fell back with a cry, scrambling at her belt. With a gasp, Blaine turned on the side and just tried to get some air from his starved lungs. Before he could get his breath back, Winnow was tackling him again. She let out a shout and raised a knife above her head. 

 

 

"Don’t!" He shouted as the knife sliced down and he managed to move to the side, blade grazing along his collar bone. "Winnow, please."

 

 

"I have to win," she snarled, spitting in his face as he struggled to get hold of the weapon. 

 

 

They twisted on the ground, both desperate for the knife. Finally, Blaine got hold of the knife and jerked his hand, horrified as it slid into her throat.

 

 

Winnow’s mossy green eyes grew wide and she coughed, blood spraying from her lips. Horrified, Blaine dropped the knife and stared down at her. Winnow’s blood stained hand reached up to grab his shirt.

 

 

"I’m sorry," he gasped, tears streaming down his face. "I’m so sorry."

 

 

Her eyes glazed. Her hand fell. The cannon boomed. 

 

 

Blaine fell back, sobbing hard into his hands. She had obviously stayed long enough to find out what supplies he had before trying to kill him for it. This wasn’t a time to make friends. This wasn’t a time to start seeing the best in people. He was here to win.

 

 

The sound of the hovercraft made him jump up, grab his pack and sprint away from her body. 

 

_Kurt. Find Kurt._

 

 

He sipped at his water and trudged down the canyons, turning down paths that he thought would lead him closer to Kurt. The dried blood on his hands itched and made him rub at them. He had just  _killed_  somebody. Her family had probably watched him slit her throat. The thought made him lean over and retch, throwing up the precious water he had just had. 

 

 

A faint beeping sound made him look up to see a white parachute descending from the sunrise streaked sky. Blaine jumped slightly to grab the canister and smiled. He twisted it open to find a little plastic thing and a note. Frowning, Blaine pulled on the plastic and watched as it sprung into a medium sized box. 

 

 

Wondering what he was going to do with a box, he opened the note.

 

 

_You did what you had to do. -C_

 

 

Steeling himself, Blaine folded the box up and put it in his backpack. Winnow’s knife was tucked into his belt and he just kept walking. When the sun was at it’s highest, he drained what was left of the water. Then, he went still, straining to hear what was around the corner in front of him.

 

 

There. The obvious sound of boots on the rocks.

 

 

Blaine jumped behind the boulder blocking most of the path and pulled out the knife. He could do this. It could be quick. He had to do this.

 

 

A person jumped down from the boulder and Blaine tackled them from behind. The person spun on their back and Blaine lifted the knife over his head before it clattered to the ground.

 

 

"Blaine?" Kurt gasped out.

 

 

With a sob, Blaine clung to his boyfriend. They held each other, tears staining their shirts as they cried. Finally, Kurt pulled him up for a deep kiss and they sat up. Blaine grinned, almost giddy with happiness as he pulled Kurt in for a hug, leaning back when he hissed in pain.

 

 

"Sorry," Kurt placed a hand to his side. "I took a slight hit. It’s not too bad."

 

 

Blood stained his side and Blaine pulled up his shirt, frowning at the angry looking cut. “Did it open again when I hit you?”

 

 

"You couldn’t have known it was me," Kurt’s yes were bright with pain. "It’s okay. Your brother sent me some medication yesterday but it just keeps opening."

 

 

"Hold on," Blaine dug through his pack and pulled out the needle and thread. Ignoring the nausea that climbed in his throat, he cleaned the wound with some of Kurt’s water, stitched it up, and smeared the medication over it. "Okay…I think that’s good. How does it feel?"

 

 

"Like someone pulled string through my skin," Kurt said through gritted teeth. 

 

 

Blaine smiled and pulled his shirt down, gently smoothing his hand over it. His heart hurt to think that Kurt had been forced to kill to protect himself. Did he feel the same consuming guilt? Did Cooper feel this way?

 

 

"Who hurt you?" He asked softly.

 

 

"The boy from four. He came at me with a sword and I had a knife," Kurt grimaced and glanced over, eyes locking on the shallow cut along Blaine’s collarbone. He gently reached up and touched the cut, sighing. 

 

 

"There are eight left, six not counting us," Blaine said as he leaned against the face of the rock. "And five of them are Careers."

 

 

"They’re going to be interviewing our families," Kurt scrubbed his dirty hands over his face. They both lapsed into silence, thinking about their parents back home when another cannon went off.

 

 

"So, there’s five," Blaine whispered. 

 

 

"Let’s set up camp here. We can hide in the rocks," Kurt nodded back at the little alcove that was made by the boulders. "Let’s just get out of the sun and rest." 

 

 

Halfway through the day dark clouds began to cover the burning sun and they were given some relief from the heat. Then, the skies opened and it poured. Kurt let out a laugh, holding his hands up and tipping his head back to catch the rain.

 

 

Blaine sighed as the rain pelted his overheated skin and dug through his backpack to pull out the plastic container. His grin widened as it filled with water and took a few gulps before handing it to Kurt. Finally, after days of drinking barely enough water, they were able to not worry. The exhaustion, shakes, and sick feeling began to lift as Blaine gulped down as much as he could. They filled their water bottles and scrubbed the layer of red dust off of their skin.

 

 

The rain began to taper off as the sky darkened and they stripped off their shirts, wringing the water out. Blaine found a few small brambles and started a fire before the pressed against the rocks and clung together. 

 

 

"I am so glad you’re here," Blaine said softly, resting his head on Kurt’s shoulder. "I thought you were dead every time I heard a cannon."

 

 

"It felt like my heart stopped every time," he pressed a kiss to Blaine’s wet curls. "Cooper was right. Fighting for each other keeps us alive."

 

 

Blaine sat up and stared at his boyfriend for a moment. Ever since his name had been called, an all consuming fear had run through him. He was terrified of dying. He was terrified of Kurt dying.

 

 

But now, with only five other people left, he was angry. The Capitol refused to identify him properly. The Capitol had forced them to kill someone. The Capitol had hurt Kurt. He had two choices, lie back and wait for the end or do something to fight. If he wanted them to win, he had to be able to fight back. 

 

 

"Go to sleep," Blaine whispered. "I can take the first watch."

 

 

Kurt curled up next to the fire and fell asleep almost instantly. Stamping out the fire, Blaine moved closely to Kurt and settled down. He felt almost hyper vigilant, paying attention to every howl of the wind through the canyons.

 

 

A few hours later, a soft sound made him look up. It sounded almost like rain but different enough that he stood up. A high pitched, terrified scream echoed through the canyons, growing more hysterical until it died out completely. Two cannons blasted and he stood up straighter. Through the darkness, Blaine was able to make out something moving. A sea of something moving towards them.

 

 

For a moment he thought that the rain had caused a small flood through the canyons but then something hit his shoulder. One of the green scorpions fell to the ground and its little legs flailed in the air.

 

 

Horror made Blaine feel numb for a moment as he realized that the wave approaching them was not water but a sea of scorpions scurrying towards them. Panicked, he hit Kurt hard in the shoulder. 

 

 

"Run!" He gasped, grabbing Kurt and shaking him awake before running as fast as he could. Kurt managed to wake up rather quickly before he sprinted alongside with him. The mass of scorpions, maybe even a million, were coming on quickly. The clicking of pincers was nearly deafening. 

 

 

They skidded around the corner, running towards what looked like some sort of staircase jutting from the face of the canyon. They climbed up the rocks, the skittering of the scorpions getting closer and closer. Kurt gasped as the rocks ended in a deep drop. 

 

 

"We have to jump," Blaine shouted over the hissing. 

 

 

With a deep breath, Blaine took a running jump and fell to his knees, skinning them on the rough rock. When Kurt jumped, his feet barely hit the edge of the rock before he started falling backwards. Blaine grabbed his arms and pulled him forward as the sea of scorpions began to fall over the edge like  a hissing, green waterfall. They lay on the opposite rock, panting and kicking the insects that managed to make it over to them. 

 

 

They hurried up the steps to find themselves on top of the canyons. Flat, red rock stretched as far as 

they could see and…shapes were racing towards them. The hissing of the scorpions suddenly made everything clear. The Gamekeepers were bored. A sea of deadly insects was just what they needed to force the tributes together. 

 

 

"Hurry," Blaine hissed as they turned and ran away, skidding to a stop when the rock they were standing on broke apart and fell into the canyon. 

 

 

The tributes from District Two were getting closer and closer, weapons held high. They were going to have to fight. There was no way they could avoid them any longer. Blaine gripped Winnow’s knife and held it up just as the male tribute cried out and swung his sword at him. The knife itself was rather useless in defense against a full sword but he was able to dodge. The heavy sword slammed into the ground and Blaine kicked it. Snarling, the tribute managed to keep hold of the weapon and aimed a fist at his face.

 

 

"I’m going to cut off your head tranny," he growled and Blaine rolled his eyes. This wasn’t what Winnow did, a desperate attempt to kill him to protect herself, this was a deep desire to win. This tribute didn’t even care who he was, he just wanted him dead so that he could be a victor. 

 

 

Kurt let out a cry somewhere behind him and his concentration broke, allowing the other tribute to slam the handle of the sword into his temple and knock him to the ground. Blaine’s head swam and he blinked blood out of his eyes, trying not to throw up.

 

 

The ringing in his ears drowned out everyone else and he looked up to see the tribute holding the sword over him, ready to swing it down. With a last bit of energy, Blaine smashed his boot into the tribute’s shins. The other tribute grunted, stumbled backward and lost his balance. With a wide eyed look of horror, he fell back into the rolling sea of scorpions. 

 

 

The girl screamed and dove at Blaine, her look of vicious fury morphing into shock before she crumpled in front of him with Kurt’s knife buried in her back. 

 

 

The hissing of the scorpions suddenly stopped and the ringing in Blaine’s ears seemed unbearably loud  in the absolute silence.

 

 

"Announcing the winners of the seventy-second Hunger Games, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson," the automated voice rang through the arena and Blaine hung his head, tears gathering in his eyes. Kurt fell to his knees next to him and wrapped him in his arms. Blaine spun around and pulled Kurt in tighter, twisting his fingers in the dirty shirt. 

 

 

After that, nothing. 

 

 

He woke up in a Capitol hospital two days later, head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. The doctor gave him a warm smile and told him happily that the blow from the sword handle had cracked his skull. As the doctor continued telling him about all his injuries, Blaine turned to the side to see Kurt laying on a bed next to him.

 

 

His boyfriend’s arm was in a sling, heavily bandaged. Kurt looked exhausted and his body was tense with pain, but he was alive. Blaine stared into his eyes and reached an arm across the gap, smiling slightly when Kurt reached his good arm over and took his hand. 

 

 

They would smile pretty for the crowds. They would attend parties. They would go on tour and be celebrities. He was going to go home and hug his parents and brother again. They could get married now. 

 

 

The nightmares would come, but for now they were alive. Blaine could just enjoy the fact that he was going to be able to grow old with the man he loved. 

 

 

They were survivors. 

 


	2. Idle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from thisloveisours-xo: omg… Survive was the best thing EVER. Sequel!?
> 
> Prompt: I really loved “Survive” and seeing Klaine as tributes. HungerGames!Klaine is so awesome! Could you do a follow-up where they’re both afraid of being reaped for the 3rd Quarter Quell (75th Hunger Games) and how relieved they are when they aren’t?
> 
> Prompt by anatomyfreak: Is there any potential for a sequel to the Hunger Games fic? I LOVED every word of it so much!!! 
> 
> Prompt: will you do a sequel to “survive” I just found it the other day and it’s so good! maybe an aftermath sequel where they go to the interviews, go home and deal with PTSD, the victory tour, and then maybe they have to mentor the next year’s tributes? I love this fic so much! great job!

Kurt never thought there would be a day when he looked forward to going back to District Eight. The streets, buildings and somehow even the sky were all the same gray color. Every person wore the same dingy off white uniform to the factories and everyone’s hands were stained slightly blue from the dyes.

But right now, surrounded by garish costumes and ridiculous people, he craved home. 

He wanted to settle into the little gray cottage in Victor’s Village with Blaine. He wanted to spread the quilt both of their parents made together over their bed. He wanted to walk down the streets hand in hand with his husband.

Instead, he felt almost alien in this insane outfit. His pants were stark white and his silk shirt was black. The long cloak with the tall collar was a magenta color and his eyes were heavily made up, making his entire face itch. Blaine was dressed similarly and they held hands tightly as they navigated the crowd.

“I think I’ll grab something to drink,” Blaine said softly into his ear and Kurt felt the familiar rush of worry. 

Blaine hadn’t slept through an entire night since they returned from the arena. He would start awake, gasping and choking on his screams and finally would cry himself to sleep in Kurt’s arms. Of course, when he was finally sleeping Kurt would do the exact same thing. 

The caked on makeup didn’t do much to hide the pallor of his skin or the dark circles under his eyes. Kurt understood the desperate desire to sleep and stay asleep without the risk of memories. 

He knew that the trembling in Blaine’s fingers was related more to the morphling tablets he was still taking than to stress. He knew it because he was doing the exact same thing. 

“Don’t get…just get water okay?” Kurt watched as his fiancé’s eyes softened. The last thing he wanted was to wake up to him seizing through an overdose.

“Okay,” Blaine pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek.

As soon as Blaine left, a few more people from the Capitol swarmed him and begged for details. Just trying to put the horrible things he had seen into words made him ill so he acted. The words he spoke were memorized, the facial expressions well practiced, and the tears perfectly timed. 

After so many parties, they both had it down. 

In interviews, Kurt would shudder as he talked about running from the Cornucopia. Blaine would tear up as he spoke about killing Willow. They would hold hands and smile at each other when they talked about winning. They never spoke about how the clicking hiss of the sea of scorpions would be almost overwhelmingly loud in the silence. 

“Here,” Blaine handed him sparkling water in a champagne flute. “If you’ll excuse us?”

Blaine’s hand was strong and sure as he pulled through him through the crowd. Kurt could see that every time someone brushed against him, Blaine’s body would tense. By the time they got to the presidential garden, they were both stiff and trembling. 

“I don’t like being around that many other people,” Blaine mumbled in his chest as they hugged tightly. 

“We’ll go home tomorrow,” Kurt gently rubbed his hand up and down on his back. “I’ll be able to see my dad. You can see your parents and brother again. We’ll move into our house and we won’t ever have to go to these parties ever again.”

Blaine let out a laugh, laughing harder as his starched collar stabbed at Kurt. They kissed deeply; still feeling like every kiss could be their last. They gave each other’s hand another squeeze and settled onto a bench.

“I wasn’t the only one who decided to hide from the crowd,” a pure white grin was the first thing that came into view before Finnick Odair stepped out of the darkness. 

They had met the older man just a few times before. He was a friend of Cooper’s and the two often spent all their time in the mentor’s room during the games trying to help their tributes as much as possible.      

It usually meant they spent most of their time forgetting what happened to their tributes. 

“Well you’re the one who keeps coming back to the parties,” Kurt replied and a strange look passed over Finnick’s eyes. 

“You’re right,” he sat on the bench across from them, the shells attached to his outfit clinking softly. “I’d advise you two to stay clear. Once you’re done with this victory tour, stay away from the Capitol unless you have to return.”

“If you hate it so much, why do you practically live here?” Blaine lowered his voice, afraid that their handlers would hear.

“It’s like…swimming. You keep swimming farther and farther away and you realize that you’re exhausted. There’s a piece of driftwood that you can cling to. You’re too tired to swim back to shore and you know that there’s a chance that you’ll be ripped apart by a shark, but…you’re too afraid to let go,” a faint smile quirked at his lips but no humor shone in his eyes. 

A chill ran down Kurt’s spine at the haunted look in his eyes. “Finnick…”

“You two seem like good guys,” the older man flashed them his smile. “But the world devours novelty, youth, and beauty. Go home, get married, and be happy. Stay away from the Capitol.” 

He wasn’t there the next morning when they boarded the train to go back home. 

As soon as the doors slid shut, they both changed into more familiar outfits from District Eight. The soft, worn fabric felt wrong against his skin after spending so long in clothing from the Capitol. 

“If I never have to wear something with feathers it’ll be too soon,” Blaine groaned and sank onto the bed. 

They finally were alone. No handlers. No cameras. No newscasters. They were able to curl up with each other and just breathe. A faint shiver ran through Kurt and Blaine pressed his fingers into Kurt’s chest.

“We need to stop the morphling. Both of us,” he whispered and Kurt nodded, remembering the little bottle. “It’s tying us to the Capitol.”

Kurt pulled him closer, dipping his head down to kiss him. 

There was very little pomp and circumstance when they got back to District Eight. In fact, only their family was waiting at the station much to the press’s disappointment. 

Kurt launched himself at his father, holding him tightly. An ache that he had never realized was there burst to life and he let out a soft sob. Next to them, he could hear the high-pitched wail Blaine’s mother made. He couldn’t imagine the pain of sending two sons off to their possible death. 

“I knew you were strong,” Burt whispered into his ear, voice choked. 

Kurt pressed his face into his father’s shoulder and nodded shakily, knowing that without Blaine he would have never made it. 

Once the cameras and their handlers left, things mostly went back to normal. They were able to start a life together. They made their home their own, held each other through the withdrawal of the morphling and nightmares, and finally felt like they were living again. 

Of course, there were only a few months of calm before reaping day.

On the morning of reaping day, Kurt woke up to Blaine carefully tying a bright scarf around his throat. He could clearly see the scar that ran across his collarbone, jagged and rough. 

For a moment, he was brought back to smiling at Blaine across the crowd. When they were young and their only problem was that Blaine was herded into the wrong group.

Was that only a year ago?

“You should get ready,” Blaine said softly, smoothing his scarf down. “We should practice our smiles for the camera.”

“It’ll be alright,” Kurt swung his legs over the side of the bed. 

“We have to mentor kids to become killers,” Blaine shrugged slightly. “Tell me how that will be alright.”

Cooper gave them both a warm smile when they arrived to the makeshift stage in the town’s center. As the children (and when did he start considering them as children? He was still their age) filed in, they stared at their bleak faces. 

Kurt felt almost dizzy with anxiety as Lulina danced across the stage and reached into the bowl. He could still remember the absolute horror when Blaine was chose, the numbness he felt as Blaine walked stiffly to the stage.

“Valeria Rosehearty!” Lulina sang and a small redhead from the thirteen-year-old group stepped out. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks and she wrapped her arms tightly around her stomach.

“Oh…and…” Lulina scowled slightly, obviously upset at the display. “For the boys! Ovid Hayes!”

Ovid didn’t look much better, only fourteen and trembling next to Valeria. 

No one cheered when they were announced.

The worst part of being mentors was the pure trust and desperation in the tribute’s eyes. They stared up at them, putting all their faith in them and trusting that they would help them get out of this alive.

Neither Kurt nor Blaine had any idea of what to say. Every word dried up and died on Kurt’s tongue and Blaine kept a bright, fake smile on his face as he rambled on and on about how they were going to win. 

“They don’t have a chance,” Kurt whispered, chest filled with horror as they retired to their room. 

“We didn’t either,” Blaine gave him a humorless smile. “Maybe we just pray for luck.”

Luck wasn’t on their side. They tried their hardest to tell their tributes everything they knew, finding themselves repeating everything Cooper had told them the year before. 

The Mentor’s Room was separated into districts, two plush chairs set in front of several screens. Several mentors, mostly from career districts, were wandering and chatting. They were taking advantage of the huge buffet table and completely ignoring the screens, showing their tributes arriving. 

The other mentors looked like they felt. They were pale, nervous, and staring intently at the screens. Kurt and Blaine slipped into the booth labeled with a large “8” and grabbed hands. The smell of the food made them feel sick as the memory of Ovid and Valeria’s pale faces came to mind.

“They can make it,” Kurt whispered but they both knew the chances were small.

When the tributes began to rise, the room went silent. Kurt held his breath, sure that the rest of the room could hear his heart beat. Ovid’s dark head and Valeria’s red hair were instantly recognizable and they watched them intently. 

Blaine was deathly pale as the clock counted down. He jumped and squeezed Kurt’s hand in a painful grip when the gong rang and gasped loudly. 

“What are they doing? We told them to run away from the Cornucopia!” He hissed, leaning closer to the screen. 

Ovid hobbled towards the supplies, his leg cast hindering his movements. Kurt’s breath caught in his throat as he was shoved to the ground and stabbed repeatedly by the tribute from district one. 

Horrified, they turned their gaze to Valeria who slashed at another tribute, struggled for supplies, and finally escaped into the trees. 

The camera zoomed in on Ovid’s face, focusing on his blank eyes. Tears instantly started streaming down Kurt’s face. Just last night, Ovid had talked about how much his missed his baby sister and how badly he wanted to see her again.

God, he was only fourteen.

Kurt grabbed a nearby trashcan and vomited harshly. He could hear Blaine crying softly near him and the cannon began to boom on the screen. 

“You would have thought going through the games yourself would have made you a little harder,” a mentor from district two called over. “Maybe slow down on the hormones Anderson.”

Kurt couldn’t even formulate a response before pulling the curtain closed, closing themselves in their booth. In the other chair, Blaine was hunched over and sobbing. 

“Cooper has been doing this for years,” he choked out, trembling. 

“Valeria is still there,” Kurt pulled him into a tight hug. “She can win.”

In the middle of the night, Valeria did one of the things they specifically told her not to. She built up a fire and huddled around it, rubbing her hands oblivious to her mentor’s distress. Blaine let out a weak whimper when the careers found her. 

They had to walk past the other mentors, make sure the wooden caskets were loaded on the train and started for home. 

“We didn’t even last one day,” Blaine whispered, as they lay in bed, all too aware that just a few rooms down were the caskets. “I mean…we told them to run and hide. Why didn’t they listen?”

“You remember what it was like. You remember how afraid you were,” Kurt moved closer. “They aren’t scared anymore.”

“And next year we have to do it all over again,” Blaine’s voice trembled. “Until one of them wins and takes our place.”

The sobbing of their parents made something shatter in them. Days later, they heard that the tributes from twelve had won but they couldn’t make themselves watch any more death. 

These past two years had been plenty. 

A few days after they had arrived home, a slender woman with neon blue eyes appeared at the doorstep. She grinned brightly, showing off her teeth that matched, and handed them a letter. 

The wax stamp from President Snow confused Kurt but he just thought it was maybe a letter of condolence now that they had lost. He prayed that it wasn’t a request to return to the Capitol. Fingers trembling, he lightly ripped open the letter.

_To the future Mr. and Mr. Anderson-Hummel,_

_I can’t express how much I appreciate your hard work to help your tributes. Unfortunately, every rose that is planted doesn’t blossom into a beautiful flower, no matter how hard you try._

_I am excited to see your growth as mentors in the following years. The Hunger Games exist as a memory of how important the Capitol is. A child would never rise up against a loving, protecting parent. I know you value your families so you must understand that._

_I truly hope that I can witness the joyous occasion of your marriage._

_-Snow_

“What does it say?” Blaine whispered from the doorway to the kitchen. 

“I…I think it’s threatening us to not get involved in any…rebellions,” he lowered his voice. 

“Threatening us?” Blaine paled.

“Well not us,” Kurt crumpled the paper in his hands. “Our families.” 

Blaine’s eyes widened in horror and he snatched the paper out of Kurt’s hands, shredding it to pieces. “Then we won’t.”

They could hear the explosions of the factories a few nights later and locked their doors. Although they were far enough away from the main part of town to hear anything else besides soft booms, it still sounded horrifying loud.

“Are we really going to live like this?” Blaine asked softly. “Hiding and forgetting?”

“You want to fight?” Kurt raised his eyebrows. 

“I’m done having children die for no reason. I’m done being afraid,” Blaine took his fiancé’s hands. “I don’t want our children to die. I don’t want Cooper’s children to die.”

“I don’t like it anymore than you do,” Kurt’s eyes hardened. “I’m all my dad has left and he’s almost lost me once.”

“Kurt-“

“I just want us to survive. That’s it. A rebellion won’t last long,” Kurt shook his head. “We just have to wait it out and things will go back to normal.”

Blaine’s mouth set in a tight line and he nodded, standing to go into the other room. 

The rebellion was crushed easily. Peacekeepers swarmed the streets and set a strict curfew, questioning anyone who stepped out of their homes. The leaders were executed and soon it just became a constant thrum of fear. 

The seventy-fifth Hunger Games came too soon, distracting everyone from the failed rebellion. Kurt could hardly eat in the days leading up to the announcement from President Snow and Blaine wasn’t much better.

They curled up together on their small couch, staring at the screen as the president finally replaced the static. He gave the crowd a thin smile, his beady eyes sweeping across them before settling on the camera.

A chip ran down Kurt’s spine as he started speaking, remembering when he stood on the chariot with Blaine. He spoke almost brightly about the quarter quell, explaining the past few times. 

What if they had to vote on someone?

What if they had to train twice as many tributes?

“Now we honor our third quarter quell,” his eyes grew colder. “On the seventy-fifth anniversary as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol. The male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors.”

Blaine went instantly limp next to him, eyes going blank. With a sharp gasp, Kurt’s hands flew to his mouth.

For males it was just Woof, Cooper and him. For females it was just Cecelia and Blaine. 

“Oh my God,” Blaine sobbed out, covering his face. 

A terrible numbness rushed through Kurt and he closed his eyes. Their victory had been mostly luck. Luck didn’t happen twice in a row. 

The weeks leading up to Reaping Day were horrifying long. Cooper locked himself in his house and refused to come out, hiding away with his memories. Kurt’s heart broke every time he looked at his fiancé, knowing that one of them was most likely going back into the arena. 

“Let’s get married,” Blaine whispered one night. “We don’t have to do it legally or whatever…just for us. Remember we have the rings.”

In the middle of the night, hours before the Reaping, they sat cross-legged in their living room surrounded by candles. With trembling fingers, they exchanged rings and whispered vows before sealing them with a kiss.

_I won’t abandon you. I’ll be with you forever._

They walked hand in hand to the stage, heads held high despite the nerves rolling in their stomachs. With a small smile, they separated and stood on either side of the stage.

Cooper gave Kurt a shaking smile, hands clasped tightly behind his back. Despite how Cooper could hide his feelings pretty well he could clearly see the fear in his eyes.

“And for the females,” Lulina grinned, reaching into the bowl of two names. Kurt’s heart stopped as she opened the paper and called out Cecelia’s name.

Blaine’s entire body sagged, eyes closing as Cecelia nodded and hugged him tightly. She whispered something in his ear and he nodded sharply. 

“For the boys,” Lulina pranced over to the other bowl. “Cooper An-“

“I volunteer!” Woof called out, placing a hand on Cooper’s back who went white and swayed in place. “I volunteer as tribute.”

Kurt blinked furiously, tears springing to his eyes as pure relief rushed through him. They were safe. They would be okay.

His breathing hitched slightly as he stared at Cecelia and Woof clasping hands. They were lovely people, always willing to help out and say a kind word. It wasn’t fair that they could die. It wasn’t fair that they were forced to relieve the worst horror that they had ever been through.

He was angry.

He was angry that he had been made to feel so helpless and weak. How could the Capitol train them to be weapons for entertainment and then expect them to roll over like dogs? He was nothing more than a sideshow and it was worse for Blaine being transgender.

It wasn’t right. He couldn’t just stand aside and watch as people died for a show.

He glanced over to Blaine and saw the fury flashing in his eyes. 

They weren’t just going to stand idly by anymore.


End file.
